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playhtml support

Making the web more alive & fun

playhtml is an open-source library that adds live, persistent interactivity to HTML elements. Facilitate real-time interactions that stay over time without additional infrastructure.

Get started see what people made ↓
1 here now
#aliveinternettheory
A paper lamp you can switch on for everyone turn the lights
on/off for everyonecan-toggle
TOTAL VISITS
counts up once
on every visit
click to growcan-grow
spin it
for everyonecan-spin The playhtml logo, a slide between code brackets
click to make it
rain for everyone
every click adds up

Why does the internet feel lonely when we spend so much of our time on it?

Personal feeds, content-focused sites, no trace of who else is here right now or who has been here before. playhtml empowers anyone to build shared, lived-in spaces on the open web instead of a closed platform. As people retreat to private forums with the rise of AI-generated content, I believe we have a duty to save and protect the open web for people. More about why

970sites made 104kpages remembered 3.4kdownloads a month
supporters & collaborators

How it works

get started in a minute
1 
<div id="note" can-move>drag me</div>
<script type="module"
  src="https://unpkg.com/playhtml/dist/init.es.js"></script>
copy it
add one attribute

Augment existing elements

Use preloaded capabilities for common interactions or customize how elements react to data changes.

2
drag me
drag it in one window it moves for everyone else

Show changes live

Everyone on the page sees it as it is moved around.

3 drag me
moved 0 times stays wherever
it was left

Persist state across refreshes

Changed data is saved, so actions affect the page.

Made with playhtml

by people all over the web
see the whole gallery →

Get involved

pick a way in
walking together · walk + collage night rabbit holing and creating a shared collage of what we found

Come play with us

Regular events walking the web, sketching websites, and stewarding the web into a more human and empowering place.

see all past events →
Join us in Discord or help build it: contribute on GitHub

Activate your community

From cultural & educational institutions to brands & companies, we make people feel like active members in digital space—including hundreds of people walking the web together for Rhizome, dozens making small social websites for SFPC, and thousands of readers inhabiting over 50k pages on Wikipedia.

get in touch

Support a shared internet

playhtml is designed to be public good infrastructure to keep the web alive. We host the servers for our community to make it accessible to a wide audience and continue to maintain and develop new features. We're supported by sponsors, from individuals chipping in to organizations committing larger support, that help make this work possible.

sponsor on GitHub Want to provide larger support? let's talk

we were online

turning the internet into a living, shared space

playhtml makes your page a shared place. we were online brings that ethos to the entire web as you browse.

visit wewere.online
install:ChromeFirefoxEdgeSafari
  • portraits turn your cursor trails, windows, & clicks into online portraits
  • scraps collect images, buttons, etc. as you browse & make webcollages
  • a shared internet world run into others & leave traces of your presence
from real people browsing
guestbook

Guestbook

, leave something nice for visitors, won't you?
↓ scroll to read older messages

Questions

still curious? ask us in Discord →
01Is it free?

Yes. There's no account, no API key and no plan to pick. Spencer hosts the shared server himself because he thinks a more playful, shared web should be a public good. It's free within limits that keep it safe from abuse and overload. If you hit a limit, get in touch. If you're building something large, run your own server. If playhtml is useful to you, sponsoring it helps keep it running for everyone.

02Where does my data live?

On a shared playhtml server, with one room per page URL. All data is public because it powers public websites. Please do not store private or sensitive data on playhtml. See the privacy policy for details. Down the line, we want people to own their data, with playhtml syncing through open, decentralized protocols like AT Protocol, so that developers can own their own data. In the meantime, you can run your own server to keep your data.

03Does this work with my website?

It should! If you code your own website, all it takes is adding the setup script and decorating your elements. If you're using a website builder like Squarespace, you will have to add custom scripts and do small modifications to the HTML of elements. It works natively with all HTML and JavaScript, and we have a React package, plus guides for Astro and other frameworks. Let us know if a framework you use is missing.

04What if the server is down?

Your page still loads as normal, but the shared data won't show up. Built-in elements show their default state, fade gently and can't be clicked until they connect. You can use onError to show your own message.

05Can I use AI coding tools with it?

Yes. Our skill teaches your agent how playhtml works and asks you to make your design choices clear. We think of coding as sketching: a tool should help your idea come into focus, not fill in the blanks for you. As such, whether you use AI or code by hand, we encourage you to use tools to realize your own unique vision. It can definitely be a resource to try if you feel held back by technical capability.

06Who's funding this?

This is mostly self-funded by Spencer Chang through his creative practice. Generous sponsors, organizational grants, and partnerships with like-minded organizations support it as well. Please consider sponsoring or partnering to support this work if it resonates with you.

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